Chef Hua
Chapter 157: Episode 102: Snatched Someone’s Business_2

Chapter 157: Episode 102: Snatched Someone’s Business_2

"She naturally wouldn’t speak those words aloud, still wearing a smile on her face, she didn’t join in the conversation, expertly rolling out the noodles, tossing them into the pot, and turning her head towards a diner at the table with a smile, ’Sister Tian Da, you’re still going without green onions in your noodles, right?’

The woman sitting at the edge of the table smiled and nodded her head, but unexpectedly, Shopkeeper Zhu, perhaps impressed by how deftly Hua Xiaomai was rolling out the noodles, gave her another look-over and chuckled abruptly, ’Heh, quite impressive. I underestimated you. With such swift movements, I imagine the noodles can’t be bad. Choose whatever you make best and serve each of us a bowl, make sure the soup is rich and the ingredients plentiful, don’t give us shoddy stuff just because we’re from out of town!’

Hua Xiaomai cheerfully replied ’Of course not,’ and was about to ask if there was anything they didn’t eat, but she saw the stout man ceaselessly sniffing and following the scent to the table where Qiao Xiong was seated.

’Ah, your spicy river snails and Drunk Shrimp look really good!’ It was the most complimentary thing he had said since appearing by the river, ’Did that lass make them too? Hmm, very good, very good!’

Upon saying this, he turned back and called out loudly, ’Girl, we’ll have one portion of each of these dishes as well!’

This time, Hua Xiaomai couldn’t stay out of it even if she wanted to, sighed silently to herself, walked over to him, and said with a smile, ’I apologize, the spicy river snails are easy to make, but the Drunk Shrimp uses wine that this uncle brought from his home, which I don’t have at my stall, so you...’

’What’s the problem?’ Shopkeeper Zhu, who didn’t care about the cost, pulled out a small piece of broken silver from his chest and threw it in front of Qiao Xiong, brashly saying, ’I see you still have a jar of wine there, how about you let me have it? Don’t mistakenly think I’m ignorant of the value, I deal with accounts for a living, I know the prices well. This little piece of silver is enough to buy three to five jars of excellent Huadiao, you’d make a great profit!’

Qiao Xiong wasn’t one to be stingy, and being one of the richer households in Fire Knife Village, he didn’t lack money. Under normal circumstances, he would have generously given away that jar of wine without expecting payment. However, today, he particularly disliked Shopkeeper Zhu and was extremely unwilling in his heart, immediately hugged the jar of wine back to his chest, smiling faintly, ’I know you’re generous, but this wine is meant for personal consumption, I’m not planning to sell it, my apologies.’

Shopkeeper Zhu probably didn’t expect this countryman to so casually dismiss the silver he’d thrown out, giving him a surprised glance before snorting through gritted teeth, ’Yo, you’re quite...’

Quite what, he couldn’t quite say it, he thought hard with his head down for a while, his expression turning a bit sour before he stiffly said, ’You really won’t give it to me?’

Qiao Xiong couldn’t be bothered with him, even took a pleasurable sip from his cup of wine before giving a chuckle and a noncommittal shake of his head."

’You...!’ The burly man behind Shopkeeper Zhu was about to roll up his sleeves on the spot.

Seeing this, Hua Xiaomai inwardly cursed ’annoying’ and hurriedly came over from behind her stall, saying with a smile, ’Don’t be angry, please. I actually don’t have many green shrimp left today, only some small ones that certainly won’t taste as good. But those finger-length fishes are very fresh; deep-fried and sprinkled with a bit of salt and Sichuan pepper powder, crispy and numbingly spicy, they’re quite good too. Why not give them a try?’

Shopkeeper Zhu, anxious about how to gracefully back down, hastily seized the opportunity she had given him, snorted through his nose, and settled himself at an empty table with swagger.

Hua Xiaomai wished they would finish eating quickly and leave, efficiently serving the noodles and side dishes they wanted. Turning back, she saw Luo Yuejiao with a furious face, and she quickly waved her hand to calm her.

After all, it’s better to avoid trouble than to seek it—wasn’t that what it meant to be in business? ’Amiable business breeds wealth,’ and often times, doesn’t this phrase actually encompass a kind of helplessness?

Shopkeeper Zhu and his group began eating the noodles, and with the first bite, their eyebrows lifted involuntarily. When they looked towards Hua Xiaomai again, their eyes carried a hint of surprise, as if they hadn’t expected such exquisite culinary skills from a girl in such a poor village. Hua Xiaomai didn’t pay them any mind and kept busy by herself, only occasionally glancing over, hoping they would eat faster.

’Young lady, I’d like to ask you something.’ Shopkeeper Zhu suddenly stopped eating, ’There’s a family with the surname Pan in this village, right? Within that household, is there someone named Pan Ping’an?’

Hua Xiaomai’s heart skipped a beat, and her hand rolling the dough paused involuntarily.

So they had come for Pan Ping’an after all—she had guessed correctly! She wondered what they were up to and whether it had anything to do with that sauce?

Before Pan Ping’an went to Provincial City for business, he entrusted his elderly parents to the care of Qiao Xiong, suggesting they had a good relationship. Hearing someone inquire about him now, Qiao Xiong also raised his head and exchanged a look with Hua Xiaomai, as if asking what was going on.

How could Hua Xiaomai explain to him at such a moment? She could only give him a faint shake of her head, suppress her lips into a smile, and said lightly, ’Oh, I haven’t been in the village for a long time, but I seem to recall hearing about such a person—what is it, do you have business with him?’

’Business?’ Shopkeeper Zhu sneered, and the three people by his side also clenched their fists in unison, looking fierce and menacing, ’That Pan Ping’an doesn’t play by the rules, selling sauces in Prefecture and stealing business from our shop! I’ve already warned him. Thinking it over, I just can’t be at ease without coming to see for myself. I’ve heard that the sauce he sells is made by a family here in the village. Young lady, do you know the name of that family?’

(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian [qidian.com] to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)